Seasonal

Nearly one full week of January has already passed yet parts of the Carolinas have recorded more snow this winter season than most of the big cities in the Northeast. Instead of snow, most of the East has been inundated with a series of heavy rain events, with the Southeast taking the brunt. Last week we addressed some of the reasons for this pattern and when to expect the arrival of more persistent winter weather. This week we elaborate further on some of those details. A Powerful Pacific Jet Stream: The “Pacific” subtropical jet stream has dominated the weather pattern since early December due to a developing El Niño. The warmer than normal waters of the eastern equatorial Pacific have intensified the temperature gradient between the equator and the arctic closer to the mainland US than normal. As the Pacific has warmed, so too has the air above it. Warming…